Modular bio-processing unit and a bio-processing system employing plural units

Abstract

Disclosed is a modular bio-processing unit ( 100 ) comprising: a housing ( 110 ) having one or more internal fluid paths ( 101 ), the housing having at least one inlet and at least one outlet ( 5,10,15,20,25,30,35,40,45,50,55,60,65,70 ), each in fluid communication with the fluid path or one or more of the fluid paths; one or more sensor elements ( 120,150,170,190 ) operatively associated with the or each path, said sensor(s) elements including elements of one or more of: a flow sensor, a flow rate sensor, a conductivity sensor, a pressure sensor, a pH sensor, and a light absorbance sensor such as a UV spectroscopic concentration sensor; one or more fluid flow inducing components ( 140 ) operatively associated with the or each fluid path; and plural valves ( 180 ) for preventing or reducing flow in the or each path, the housing, inlet(s), outlet(s), flow inducing component(s) and valve(s) being arranged to operate together as a bio-processing unit within or substantially within the housing.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A modular bio-processing unit operable with like units to provide a bio-processing system, the unit comprising:
 a housing having at least one internal fluid path, the housing having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, each in fluid communication with the at least one fluid path; 
 at least one sensor element operatively associated with the at least one internal fluid path, the at least one sensor element including elements of one or more of: a flow rate or flow direction sensor, a conductivity sensor, a pressure sensor, a pH sensor, an air trap and a light absorbance sensor; 
 at least one fluid flow inducing component operatively associated with the at least one internal fluid path; and 
 plural valves for preventing or reducing flow in the at least one internal fluid path, 
 wherein the unit comprises a fluidic layer comprising the at least one internal fluid path and a pneumatic layer separated by a support layer, and a flexible elastomeric layer provided between said support layer and said fluidic layer. 
 
     
     
       2. The modular bio-processing unit of  claim 1 , wherein the unit includes a selection valve for selecting input into the at least one internal fluid path from plural sources. 
     
     
       3. The modular bio-processing unit of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one flow inducing component provides a direction of intended flow in the unit, and wherein the selection valve is upstream of the at least one flow inducing component and said at least one sensor element and said plural valves and downstream of the selection valve. 
     
     
       4. The modular bio-processing unit of  claim 1 , wherein the housing has an external cassette configuration arranged to fit within or adjacent a cassette holder. 
     
     
       5. Two or more modular bio-processing units each of  claim 1 , wherein the two or more units have a different bio-processing capacity by virtue of different cross section areas of their respective at least one internal fluid paths, and/or their differing respective pump capacities. 
     
     
       6. A bio-processing system including plural bioprocessing units each of  claim 1  and a cassette holder configured to receive the or each cassette for supporting the cassette in use in a stack of said units. 
     
     
       7. The bio-processing system of  claim 6 , wherein the cassette holder and each cassette have complementary configurations for supplying power to the units and for proving a signal path to and/or from each unit in use. 
     
     
       8. The bio-processing system of  claim 7 , wherein the holder's complementary configurations supply electrical and/or pneumatic power and signal paths for each unit. 
     
     
       9. The modular bio-processing unit of  claim 1 , wherein the plural valves are configured to selectively divert flow relative to the at least one sensor element. 
     
     
       10. The modular bio-processing unit of  claim 1 , further comprising respective go/no-go membrane valves provided at each leg of a respective junction of the unit for controlling the direction of flow thereat.